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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Gov. Mike Pence only vetoed three bills sent to him this year by the legislature. One of those dealt with a local income tax collected by Jackson and Pulaski Counties. Both counties had imposed a local income tax to fund jail construction bonds, but the authorization for those local income taxes had expired. The legislation vetoed by Gov. Pence would have legalized taxes already collected by the affected counties by making the extension of the tax authorizations retroactive. Senate President Pro Tempore David Long and House Speaker Brian Bosma are so concerned by the potential negative impact caused by that veto that they have scheduled a special session for June 12 to consider an override of the veto. The Northwest Indiana Times' Dan Carden has more:

"The problems associated with the veto, if it stands, will be immense," Long said.

Long noted it would be almost impossible for the counties to refund the extra income tax collections in any timely way. Long also said the state's bond rating could suffer if the counties default on loan payments.

Approval by a simple majority in both chambers is needed to override the governor's veto and enact the measure into law. The legislation was initially passed 98-0 in the House and 48-1 by the Senate.

It was one of three measures vetoed by the first-year governor. He also rejected proposals to require state licensing of anesthesiologist assistants and diabetes educators along with state certification of dietitians and music therapists.

Despite the Republican-dominated majorities that approved Senate Enrolled Act 273 and House Enrolled Act 1242, Pence said he believes the state ought to have fewer professional licenses, not more.

"Less regulation will mean more jobs for Hoosiers," Pence said.

Bosma and Long said those vetoes will not be on the June 12 legislative agenda but will be considered in the normal course of business next year.

House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said he thinks Pence used his vetoes to show legislative Republicans, who often say one thing but do another on taxes and regulations, that he will not go along with proposals if they conflict with his own anti-tax, anti-regulation positions.

"That's one of the governor's few opportunities to render judgments on some things that happened in the session. It's a chance to talk about things," Pelath said.

As this blog has previously complained, Gov. Pence signed the two worst bills of the legislative session, both of which flew in the face of everything he has preached as a conservative for the past several decades. He signed the $100 million taxpayer bailout bill for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which includes a new ticket tax. He also signed a power grab bill that strips the Indianapolis City-County Council of authority and gives it to Mayor Greg Ballard, who is perhaps the most corrupt mayor in the history of Uni-Gov, as evidenced by the sweeping indictments of top staff officials he appointed at the Department of Metropolitan Development last week on charges they accepted bribes and kickbacks in administering the city's land bank program for abandoned homes.

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